Comments on: The Story of Ayman Batarfi, a Doctor in Guantánamo

By: Why Obama Must Continue Releasing Yemenis From Guantánamo « freedetainees.org

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:15:13 +0000

[...] second of the released Yemenis, Ayman Batarfi, was a skilled orthopedic surgeon, who had traveled to Afghanistan in 2001 to care for those less [...]

By: Andy Worthington: 75 Guantanamo Prisoners Cleared For Release; 31 Could Leave Today | The Latest Liberal Blogs

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:16:39 +0000

[...] They include Yasim Basardah, who was cleared for release by a District Court judge in April, and Ayman Batarfi, a doctor whose release was approved by the Task Force that same month, essentially to head off a [...]

By: Guantánamo As Hotel California: You Can Check Out Any Time You Like, But You Can Never Leave « Dandelion Salad

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:53:49 +0000

[...] and two other Yemeni prisoners — Yasim Basardah, whose habeas petition was granted in March, and Ayman Batarfi, a doctor whose release was approved by the government’s own Detention Policy Task Force at the [...]

By: Andy Worthington: Guantanamo As Hotel California: You Can Check Out Any Time You Like, But You Can Never Leave | My 2 Cents Worth

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:48:58 +0000

[...] two other Yemeni prisoners — Yasim Basardah, whose habeas petition was granted in March, and Ayman Batarfi, a doctor whose release was approved by the government’s own Detention Policy Task Force at [...]

By: Obama’s First 100 Days: A Start On Guantánamo, But Not Enough « Dandelion Salad

Mon, 04 May 2009 23:15:18 +0000

[...] to either government. And beyond Mohamed, only one other prisoner — the Yemeni doctor, Ayman Batarfi — has been cleared for [...]

By: Political Jib.com » Andy Worthington: Obama’s First 100 Days: A Start On Guantanamo, But Not Enough

Mon, 04 May 2009 12:04:14 +0000

[...] to either government. And beyond Mohamed, only one other prisoner — the Yemeni doctor, Ayman Batarfi — has been cleared for [...]

By: Andy Worthington

Andy Worthington — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:33:37 +0000

Frances,
Thanks as ever. That second description of a mirage sums up perfectly the whole of Guantanamo, and not just the predicament faced by Dr. Batarfi, but you know that, of course.

By: Andy Worthington

Andy Worthington — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:18:09 +0000

Connie,
You really must get in touch with Dr. David Nicholl, a British Consultant Neurologist who campaigned extensively on Ayman’s behalf.
This is his email:
david.nicholl@blueyonder.co.uk
This is the campaign he set up:
http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/justice-for-dr-batarfi.html
A letter to the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/24/guantanamo.humanrights
A BBC report on a Marathon he ran in a Guantanamo orange jumpsuit:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4452039.stm
And another article in which another doctor, Willy Kemmer, recalls working with Dr. Batarfi in Afghanistan, and provides information which, I suspect, may have helped secure his release (it’s also very strong on demolishing the notion that al-Wafa was connected to terrorism):
http://www.thestirrer.co.uk/the-guantanamo-doctor-2207081.html

By: Frances Madeson

Frances Madeson — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:19:42 +0000

Mirage has two meanings in my dictionary. The first is an optical phenomenon by which reflected images of distant objects are seen, often inverted, when the air close to the ground is denser than the air above. The second is something illusory, without substance, or without foundation in reality. One suspects that, as a man of science, Dr. Batarfi could handle the first kind. The oasis may be further away than one wishes and hopes but it is out there and ultimately obtainable. The second, however, would be anathema. In Guantanamo, a place where hope is routinely melted in the smithy’s forge, a person of science would be a fool to believe anything other than hard proofs. Promises were for yesterday.

By: Connie

Connie — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:30:56 +0000

This story is an especially moving one. Obviously to any who read this in full, there is so much that commends Ayman Batarfi as a doctor and human being with such a large ongoing measure of compassion. Since my husband and I sometimes interact with the medical community…I’m wondering if there is some way in which we might be helpful in the case of this doctor?